Archive For March 2018
Opera Tavern is a beautiful two-storey bar and restaurant in the heart of central London’s theatreland. Located on Catherine Street opposite the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and seconds from the eponymous Opera House, it’s a stone’s throw from The Strand. Read my dinner review here. Catherine Street has been a thoroughfare since the 1600s. Its…
Georgian House Hotel is Five-star in every regard (read my review here). It’s a cosy boutique bed-and-breakfast with the addition of a delicious and worthy afternoon tea in their Pimlico Pantry. Upcycled Afternoon Tea! The new Upcycled Afternoon Tea is prompted by the best of motives, but it also ticks all the boxes for those…
Ideal for party quaffing This is a real party-time drink. It’s ideal for a group, and any glass of fizz with a pink blush is bound to have a lot of frilly stage-presence. Live to Sparkle is a fun bottle complete with high-heels. Live to Sparkle is light with pleasant fruit on the palate; strawberry…
So, what is 1070? A house number? A phone number? No, it’s actually a date. Jews first arrived in Britain in 1070 at the invitation of William the Conqueror, although the welcome mat was only out for a couple of hundred years. An Edict of Expulsion was a royal decree issued by King Edward I…
Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) 2018 opened on 15 March and continues for 11 deliciously fun-filled days in the heart of Doha at Hotel Park. Even if you have attended this event before, there will still be much that’s new to see and do. The number of food stalls and attractions has grown by more…
Black Roe Poke Bar and Grill launched in the heart of Mayfair in March 2016 and it’s one of my favourite spots. The dark grey, portrait-hung walls create a cocoon of calm in Mayfair. It isn’t glitzy, you don’t have to be an A-lister to be allowed in, but it is smart-casual, with delicious embellishments….
London is blessed with a wealth of hotels and B&Bs. Yes, we have a great many but they are of variable quality, so it’s always wonderful to find a little hospitality gem. The Georgian House Hotel near Victoria is just that. Built in 1851, by the present owner’s great great grandfather William Chinnery Mitchell, the…
Anyone who has had a trip to the States might recognise the name of this restaurant – or more accurately, recognise the ‘names’ of this restaurant. They don’t allude to mythical partners who might have opened the restaurant, but rather to a couple of names picked at random from a Manhattan phone directory! Smith and…
It’s said that one eats with one’s eyes. Well, if that’s true then Borgo Molino Prosecco will be tempting before it even reaches the shopping basket. This is a bottle that stands out from the predictable crowd. It’s a little squatter than bottles customarily used for sparking wine. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a small 17th…
Flour: A comprehensive guide to grains and pulses, nuts and seeds: recipes from breads and tortillas to pancakes and pies was bound to be a good read. I have reviewed another of Christina McFadden’s books: Pepper – the spice that changed the world, and it was a lovely volume. My expectations were high, and they…
You won’t want to miss the latest issue of Timeless Travels In this Spring issue of Timeless Travels you can travel far and wide. Float down the Seine following in the footsteps of the Impressionist painters; or if you fancy something more energetic you can walk the El Camino in Northern Spain; or try the Ancient Lycian…
This is perhaps the most iconic of all hotels in The Hague. Its very location allows it to take advantage of architectural and historic cachet. It sits majestically on a corner, with a regal red awning which encourages high expectations of what might lie within. Luckily all of us can enjoy at least a little…
An in-depth exploration spanning 800 years of the art, essence, and enduring impact of the Japanese Garden. The most comprehensive exploration of the art and concept of the Japanese garden published to date, this book covers more than eight centuries of the history of this iconic horticultural genre. One might think of a Japanese garden…
The first thing one notices about Caorunn gin is, well, the gin! Its rather classy bottle presents mountain-stream-clear aromatic alcohol in its purest form. It invites the prospective drinker to anticipate the cool, crisp gin within. For me, Caorunn is a classic gin. It’s well-crafted and balanced. Its infusion is delicate, a few of the…
It’s snowy in London and it does rather give the impression of a Christmas landscape. At that time of year one’s fancy might turn to a theatre trip with the kids – nothing taxing like King Lear, but perhaps a children’s classic like Pinocchio might fit the bill? The National Theatre has the ideal production,…
As Chef Director of Duck and Waffle since 2012, Dan Doherty has received many accolades including acceptance into The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, as the youngest member to date, in 2014. This is a prestigious statement of respect from his gastronomic peers. Sadly, I suspect that very few of the guests at Duck and…